


For the Rest of Our Lives

by wowsonny



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: AU, Angst, Camping, Coworkers to lovers, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Memories, Minor Moon Taeil/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Murder, Pre-smut, Roommates, Sad, Soulmates, Suspense, Thriller, True Love, Vacation, Whump, bird mask, lucas is always horny, tear-jerker, ten is scared
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:28:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24458974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wowsonny/pseuds/wowsonny
Summary: A couple vacations away from civilization for some alone time together.Except they're not alone.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	For the Rest of Our Lives

The vehicle was a rental. A deep maroon painted its exterior, and the scattered dents from the spring's big hail storm disrupted the smooth metal the way the occasional pot hole disrupted the smooth drive.

Ten sat in the black leather passenger seat, staring out the window with tired eyes from the nap he'd just been brought out of. Lucas glanced over at his boyfriend when he noticed him shifting. Both of them had abandoned their typical routines that morning; there was no slipping on slacks and button-up shirts, no styling their hair neatly with gel, no carpooling with colleagues to their white-collar jobs.

Instead they took on a lazier routine: waking up late, dressing in loungewear, barely combing their hair. Then they packed the car with the things they'd need for their little vacation away from civilization.

They'd met through work initially. Lucas's peaked interest in Ten began when he first saw him struggling with the coffee machine in the break room. Ten was an intern at that point--a transfer from a smaller company--and his first day was going horribly. Lucas had introduced himself that day to help him fix the coffee machine, and the two of them spent a good and fun five minutes working together to figure out the issue.

And the issue: it'd been unplugged.

It was a fond memory of theirs. It led to many more fun work moments, and when Ten obtained the entry-level position in Lucas's department, they'd made plans to move in together so as to ease financial burden.

It wasn't an easy process. They'd ended up joining two other men who'd already found a decent enough apartment. It was two-bedroom and two-bath, which Lucas and Ten decided was the best it'd get.

At that point, they'd only been flirting casually. It was an entertaining thought to live together. Only when they began sleeping in the same bed did the deeper feelings surface.

And now, as the car roved down the empty highway on half a tank, the couple inside was about to celebrate their one-year anniversary.

"Are you feeling better?" Lucas asked, his neglected brunet bangs draping his forehead.

Ten looked at him. The corners of his lips turned up at the male. Despite how he so often demanded Lucas get his hair trimmed, the long bangs were truly a cute look on him. He looked more boyish with them as compared to his typical comb over style.

"Much better," Ten purred.

Lucas reached over the center console to rest his large hand gently against Ten's thigh,his heart fluttering when Ten covered it with both of his own.

Lucas had witnessed Ten's motion sickness multiple times--the first time being their date to an amusement park. That night had ended with Lucas holding Ten from behind as he was bent over the toilet, puking up cotton candy and pretzels and funnel cake. But it was one of Lucas's favorite memories. Ten had cuddled up to him so sweetly that night.

And then another time, when they'd been driving to Lucas's hometown to meet his family and had to take a road of multiple up-and-down hills. Ten hadn't vomited this time around, but he'd definitely been dazed--and he was already nervous meeting Lucas's family.

These roads weren't particularly bad. The occasional wide turn and small hill wasn't an issue. It was mainly the sun's fault, shining on Ten and making him queasy.

But the sun was hidden now. It'd ducked behind the height of the trees at six o'clock--half an hour before Ten had woken up.

Lucas had been driving in near silence for about an hour while his boyfriend was asleep. He hadn't dared to turn the radio's volume knob higher than two, not wanting to risk waking the nauseous boy. He could only imagine how horrible motion sickness was. Lucas had been so careful, in fact, that he'd even dropped his speed to five below the limit for a smoother ride.

He would do anything for Ten. It was just that simple.

The raven-haired boy rested his head against the window. The drive down the winding road had been a long one, but the destination was worth this journey. . Being completely alone with each other was all they'd ever wanted, and being alone was a rare thing with how their schedules aligned almost perfectly with their roommates.

The both of them were rather excited. Lucas's big grin indicated just that. But Ten, with his dark eyes gazing deep into the brush, had a subtle uneasiness in the pit of his stomach. And it wasn't nausea.

Ten's fingers played with Lucas's as he gazed at the scenery. The drive was comfortable and quiet, just the presence of each other being enough.

The occasional deer excited the travelers. The spook of a rare human intervention sent the does and fawns scurrying back into the various breeds of green-leaved trees. These trees marked the beginning of wooded miles. The depth of them secluded such an isolation.

Such a danger.

Ten's phone vibrated from his hoodie pocket. Lucas turned his head toward the noise, surprised they'd found a moment of reception in the vast wilderness. His boyfriend made eye contact for a moment and they smiled.

"It's probably Johnny or Taeil," Ten said, pondering which of the two roommates it could be. He took his right hand and slipped it into his pocket. With a gentle sigh, the male pulled his phone out to see the text on his screen.

Lucas tilted his chin up, smile slacking as he tried reading the name. It was ridiculous of him and he knew it--hell, he was the one sleeping with Ten every night--but he couldn't help needing the validation that it wasn't Johnny.

But it was Johnny, and so he turned his disappointed eyes and sullen frown back to the road. When he remembered his hand, he attempted to remove it from the smaller boy's thigh, but Ten took the motion as Lucas wanting to intertwine their fingers.

"Johnny says that they'll be here around two tomorrow afternoon," Ten relayed. "Taeil has to go in for a few hours in the morning to finish some spreadsheets."

Lucas, with a nod, mumbled an okay.

Ten smiled as he texted a brief response to Johnny, double tapping the home button so he could close the app by habit.

Ten hadn't closed an app earlier. It was Safari, and the preview was the unsettling image of the messy crime scene: a small tent--once light gray in color--that'd been found stained a garnet red from the splatter of the murders.

It was a sickening article and Ten would rather forget he'd ever read the thing. Of course, he never wanted to be murdered, but when it did happen, he would most prefer being shot to death. Neither of the two campers had been so lucky.

But one of the two campers would be so lucky.

Ten swiped the app up to close it, not wanting to think anymore on it. That wouldn't be fair to Lucas if he kept himself so preoccupied. Lucas was too excited about this.

Ten turned his head to face his boyfriend. He immediately relaxed when he saw Lucas's expression. "Are you really sulking right now?" the short male asked with a grin.

Lucas jutted his lower lip out. "I don't know what you're talking about--"

"You are," Ten said, laughing lightly. "You're sulking right now."

Lucas glanced at Ten with his big black eyes, slowing the car as they approached the final turn. "You think I can help it?" he mumbled defensively. "Johnny's this tall and strong and handsome muscle guy, and what am I?"

"You're _my_ tall and strong and handsome muscle guy."

Lucas came to a stop at the yield sign, his hopeful gaze set completely on his boyfriend. Ten looked back at him with a big smirk on his face, and soon both of them were smiling--then laughing.

Ten covered the interlocked fingers with his other hand, his face starting to hurt from smiling so much. With all the smiling he did around Lucas, it was a mystery how he wasn't used to it even after a year.

"You're silly, Lucas," the boy mumbled. "You get all jealous about Johnny when Taeil is the one clinging to me all the time."

"Taeil's a twink. I'm not worried about him."

Ten stifled another laugh, glancing forward. He played with Lucas's fingers.

"I just can't wait to finally have privacy with you," the younger male said, tone sincere as he stared at the older.

Ten smiled sweetly. "You have to remember to protect me from all the animals out here, though."

Lucas barely managed to tear his eyes away from the pretty face to continue the dwindling journey, turning the rental car onto the dirt trail slowly. "I'll protect you with my life," he affirmed.

Ten's anxiety crept in, but he silenced it with dark humor. "If I die," he said, "at least you won't have to put up with my motion sickness anymore."

Lucas gave his hand a loving squeeze. "Don't say things like that," he scolded. "You know I couldn't live without you."

Ten beamed at him, then looked out the window into the vast wild. The leaves on the ground from last year's autumn were a dull brown, but everything else was overgrown in abundant life. Ten hadn't been camping since he was very little. The untouched nature was fascinating to him.

Lucas brought the car to a gentle stop and put it in park. Ten looked forward and caught sight of a visibly worn cattle gate, then to his left to make eye contact with his boyfriend.

"It's gated?"

"Yeah, so people don't drive through it," Lucas said. "The trails are shitty already. Wait here."

Ten released Lucas's warm hand so the larger male could unbuckle, getting out of the vehicle. His legs ached when he stepped foot on the earth; they'd been driving for hours, easily a total of five. They'd only planned staying for three days. It might've seemed crazy to travel so far for such a short vacation--and in the middle of nowhere nonetheless-- but the journey was well worth it.

Because Lucas and Ten were together, after all.

"I'm going to see if they have it padlocked," Lucas said, getting a content nod in response.

Ten watched him as he moved in front of the car. He hadn't realized the headlights were on until Lucas occupied the spotlight of them.

It wasn't too dark yet; the sky held a deep blue, and the sun was well hidden by the blooming trees now. Ten conjectured that the rental's headlights were automatic, because he knew Lucas wouldn't have turned them on if he didn't think he needed them.

He watched his boyfriend from the safety of the passenger seat, a comfortable smile on his face. Ten really couldn't imagine life without him. It'd be a miserable existence, not seeing that handsome face, not bantering with that idiot, not feeling that body hold him every night. Ten had known for a while that Lucas was the love of his life. And nothing was ever changing that.

"It's locked," Lucas said when he returned to the vehicle. He reached down between the two seats for the keys he'd been given. Once having them in hand, he cocked an eyebrow up at Ten playfully. "And stop looking at my ass, by the way."

"I can't help myself," Ten mumbled in reply, lost in the comfort of just Lucas's presence. "It's as good as mine."

Lucas moved back to leave the rental again, smirking. "Nothing's as good as yours."

Ten's smile deepened with that, and he observed again as Lucas worked at unlocking the rusty cattle gate. Before long he was looking past Lucas's butt, instead focusing deep into the woods where the light no longer hit. His nerves picked up again. It would be much scarier when it became pitch black out.

Lucas leaned over to push the gate open, purposely sticking out his rear for Ten to look at. The male shook his head from the car, a wide smile on his countenance again. His soulmate was a goofball. And Ten wouldn't have it any other way.

"You're such a perv!" Lucas said when he returned, hopping back into the driver's seat.

Ten, with his head tilted back against the rest, gave him a playful side eye. "I just can't help myself, Lucas. I told you that."

The younger male laughed cutely, putting the rental in gear to drive it through the gate. He put his hand on Ten's thigh again as he moved along the trail.

"Aren't you going to lock it back up?" the older asked with a glance outside the rear window.

"No, it's not worth it." Lucas looked around for deer. "They don't have any other fences or gates so the wildlife can be uninterrupted, so there's really no point except to keep people off the trails. No one ever takes that road either. Look."

Lucas lifted his hand suddenly to point past Ten, and the male flicked his head just in time to see a doe escape into the brush. He smiled, then took the hand and placed it back on his thigh.

"Besides," Lucas added with a softer voice. "This way we won't have to worry about getting up in the morning to let the idiots in. So we can stay up really late..."

"Doing what?"

"Hmm." Lucas pursed his lips in thought. "S'mores?"

"You're kidding me."

"You don't like s'mores?"

Ten squeezed Lucas's hand. "What else?" he asked in a whisper.

The larger of the two grinned. Ten moved Lucas's hand further up his thigh.

"You want dirty talk, hm?"

The main concept of their trip had been to get a little vacation, but as Lucas thought more and more on it, he found himself looking forward to having loud sex with Ten above everything else. The thin apartment walls were such a curse. He really couldn't blame Ten for feeling so needy. Lucas would be lying if he said he weren't the exact same.

He rolled the car to a stop and put it in park. The fire pit was still a good walk away, but he didn't care.

He needed Ten right now.

**...**

"It's so quiet now," Lucas said with a sigh, giving a sarcastic tongue click as he chewed his gum. "You scared all the deer off..."

Ten pried the hand off his waist with that, moving away from the shoulder-to-shoulder position with a good-natured smile. Lucas whined.

"You shouldn't have done so much, then," Ten teased back, bashful. He crossed his arms.

Lucas whimpered. "I was kiddiiiiiing...come back here."

The taller male came behind Ten to wrap his arms tightly around his torso. Lucas came in for a kiss and Ten squirmed away as far as he could.

"Don't kiss me!" he cried out with a laugh. "Not after that."

"Mmm, you taste so good though-!"

"I don't kiss _you_ after I suck you off."

Lucas licked his lips, the taste of Ten still there. "I wish you would, though. I must taste gourmet with how you devour me."

The smaller boy looked at his boyfriend. "I don't do it for the taste like you do. I just like how feminine you sound."

"What do you want me to do? Grunt?" Lucas shivered at the thought. When Ten laughed, he quickly stole a kiss.

He was so caught up in clinging to his boyfriend and Ten was so caught up in that post-orgasm euphoria that neither noticed the low-hanging branch. Just when Ten crouched to avoid more of Lucas's kisses, that branch whipped Lucas hard in the face.

A victim by his height, the large child yelped like an abused puppy having its paw crushed under a cruel foot. The sound broke the silence of the wild and made Ten turn sharply. His happy eyes widened into fearful ones.

Lucas had his face cupped in one hand, the other too adamant about staying on the shorter male's body. Ten reached up for him worriedly.

"Are you okay?" he asked. He covered Lucas's hand with one of his own to pull it back. By instinct, Lucas closed his fingers around Ten's much smaller ones as the boy examined him.

Then the younger watched the older, a pout on his lips. Ten was usually like this. He hated when Lucas got hurt--so much to the point that he'd punish Lucas for acting recklessly. He'd never forget the time he came home from a night with his sister. A man at the club had been eyeing her, so Lucas got into a scuffle with him--a scuffle that didn't need to happen in the first place. That man and Lucas's sister were now living together. She clearly hadn't had any problem with the flirting, and Ten had known that from her texts _informing_ him about the fight.

So when Lucas came home with a bloody nose and even bloodier knuckles, Ten helped him get all cleaned up and then made him go a whole week without sex. A whole week!!

It'd been miserable, but Lucas smiled anyway at the memory, at Ten's worry. He really wouldn't change a single thing about his boyfriend.

"Be more careful, baby," Ten said softly, bringing himself up onto his tippy-toes to kiss Lucas on the cheek where the branch had hit. There was no cut, but there would definitely be a mark.

"You're so sweet to me," Lucas beamed, staring at Ten like he was his soulmate. Which he was.

Ten turned back around to resume walking. Lucas was quick to cling to his side again.

"You made a really cute noise right then, Tall Boy," Ten played. "You can go from being such a tease to being such a child, can't you?"

It was true, too. Lucas was a cum slut, and instead of fucking Ten the moment they parked like Ten needed, he insisted on sucking him off instead. He wouldn't take back the decision. Hearing Ten's moans was his main desire, and being able to focus on nothing but them was all he could ask for. He was well compensated--and Ten all the more.

"A tease?" Lucas reiterated innocently. "I didn't give you enough, huh? Don't worry, Kitten"--his hand sent for his groin to grab himself--"You'll get this later."

Ten glanced down, then back up at his boyfriend to shove him playfully with his shoulder. He took note of the trail camera that flashed with their passing. "The _audacity_ of you, Lucas..."

The younger of the two smiled brightly, putting both his hands tight around Ten again as they walked. He was so happy. Being with Ten like this for the rest of his life was his only wish.

And coincidentally, that wish would be fulfilled.

**...**

It was pitch black out now, nothing lighting their little campground save for the fire they'd started. Everything was set up and ready by then--the tent, their sleeping bag, the cooler, their suitcases, and anything else that they'd need. The only forgotten thing, and perhaps the most vital, was the handgun Lucas had brought for safety measures. The self-defense mechanism was tucked between the driver's seat and center console. Secure.

The couple sat on the ground in front of the fire pit. They'd eaten their fire-cooked dinner just moments prior, and now Ten had his head laid comfortably on Lucas's shoulder, Lucas's arm secure around him. Crickets chirped.

"I never want to leave this," Ten mumbled, nuzzling deeper into Lucas. "I'm so happy..."

Lucas's smile deepened. "Should I propose to you right here?"

The smaller male pulled his head back, surprised by the statement. "Why would you bring that up?" he asked, audibly hurt. Lucas knew the topic was a sore one for Ten. The older male regularly complained about marriage not being legal for them.

Lucas reached his free hand up to play with Ten's hair, gazing at every feature of his face that the fire lit up so beautifully. "I did buy rings already..."

"We can't get married in Korea, Lucas."

"I don't care." The response had been quick and quiet, but the power behind it made Ten's eyes well up. "It doesn't matter if we have to go to the States to do it, because I'm not dying until I marry you Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul."

Ten laughed through his falling tears, sniffling. "You've been practicing that pronunciation, haven't you?"

"It took me a while, but I got it, right?" Lucas brushed Ten's tears away with his thumb before bringing their foreheads together. Ten nodded against him.

"Yeah, you got it," he whispered, coming forward desperately to kiss Lucas.

It was like he'd never had those lips before with how he attacked them, but Lucas was no different in his feelings for Ten. He swung his body around so he could surround his boyfriend, pressing him down into the grass delicately where he used Lucas's arm around him as a pillow. Ten's arms slipped around Lucas's back. They were completely and fully enveloped in each other, so much that everything around them was irrelevant--the animals, the trees, the fire, the masked man...all irrelevant.

Ten moaned against Lucas, clutching tightly at his shirt and fighting up against his mouth roughly. God, he felt so good. No one else could make Ten feel this good. And if his whines didn't show that, the rising tent in his sweatpants had to.

Lucas was even more affected--his imagination was going crazy. Ten had been more vocal than ever with Lucas's treatment earlier and he couldn't help but fantasize how loud he'd get with sex. No roommates was just another perk of the wild--there was no one to overhear Ten's sinful cries when Lucas pleasured him. He could imagine it already: Ten's ass in the air, wriggling for him as he begged and whined....

"I want you," he mumbled against Ten, resuming the breathless kissing as if he didn't even need a response.

But Ten let go of his shirt; he brought his hands down to push against Lucas's chest. The larger male conceded reluctantly, moving back even though it killed him to do so.

"Let's get our trash cleaned up before we...make ourselves tired," Ten whispered, catching air. His tear-stained face pulled a smile. "Then we can go all night."

Lucas whined. "I'm horny now, though..."

"You're always horny, Lucas."

It was true, for the most part, but that moment had Lucas at the brink. He really couldn't wait to fill his boyfriend, to hear his profanities, his squeals...

"I'll be able to enjoy it more knowing we have everything cleaned up," Ten continued, slipping his hands up and down Lucas's chest as if to influence him.

It worked.

"Fine..."

Lucas dismounted Ten, hating every centimeter of distance coming between them. He wore such a pout that Ten couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as he sat up.

"You should see yourself sometimes, Lucas," Ten said playfully. He helped Lucas gather up their trash from dinner. "You're so versatile. You're a big pouty baby when you're jealous and so sweet when we're together and then you ravage me when we have sex."

Lucas turned his head. He quickly finished pushing the garbage into the plastic bag that'd carried their food before tying it with a cute little knot. "Can I ravage you now, then?" he asked with a grin. "All night, before the idiots get here?"

Ten tilted his head at him, humored. "You're silly. Why do you hate them so much?"

"I don't hate _them_ , I just hate Johnny."

Ten took the bag from Lucas, laughing under his breath. "Johnny likes Taeil, you big baby."

Lucas furrowed his eyebrows. _"What?"_

"Yeah," Ten said. "He's always talking to me about how much he likes him, and then I always talk about how much I like you."

Lucas flicked Ten on the head, provoking a laugh. "Why'd you never tell me this before?" he asked, upset.

"Because," the older one said with a shrug, bringing himself to his feet. He smirked. "You're cute when you're jealous."

Lucas stayed on his knees in the dirt. A faint smile appeared on his face with the statement. He put his arms around Ten's knees suddenly to hug him, keeping his eyes on his face. "I should be mad but I just want to fuck you more, now."

Ten giggled. "Go get the stuff we need. I'll go put the trash in the car."

Lucas nodded fervently. He kept his arms around Ten as he stood, so when he was at his full height they were around the boy's waist. He kissed his boyfriend briefly. "Make sure you grab the gun, okay? Just in case a raccoon or something gets vicious."

"I'll grab it," Ten assured, returning a peck. Lucas stared at him. "You'll have to let go of me first, though."

The larger male relented, letting go. "I'm going to punish you for keeping that Johnny thing from me when you get back, Sir."

Ten turned his body away from Lucas as he pulled his phone from his pocket. He switched on his flashlight. "I'll mentally prepare myself."

They smiled at each other, then Lucas went into the tent, and Ten began the walk back to the vehicle.

His smile quickly fell. The fears he'd forgotten were suddenly recalled to life without Lucas at his side. There was so much darkness around him. He didn't know what lurked. What if an animal was territorial, or hungry? Or worse, what if a human was lusting for blood?

The article came back to mind. The man who'd been killed had suffered such a brutal death, having his throat slit. The writer described his corpse as being Colombian neck-tied, with his tongue pulled through that slit. And the poor girl, being raped to death with the blade of a knife...

Whoever it was, they were a monster.

Ten couldn't imagine what it'd be like to be murdered--especially so brutally. But then again, he'd rather it be him than Lucas. Ten would never be able to deal with the pain if Lucas were hurt like that.

A light flashed from Ten's side, so bright it made him jump. He laughed at himself when he remembered the trail camera. Despite that reaction, the hairs on his arms stood up and his skin crawled. By no means did he feel safe.

He made it to the car, though, and he set the trash in the back seat. The sound of the crickets chirping had become white noise to him by then. The sound of his own walking--twigs snapping, leaves crumbling, his breathing--had become white noise by then.

But he wasn't walking anymore. Someone else was. And when a low scraping noise and a particularly loud snap came from somewhere behind the vehicle, Ten abandoned all rational thought to begin sprinting desperately back for Lucas. Instead of making sense of the situation, instead of pulling the gun out from between the driver's seat and center console, Ten's fight or flight response chose flight.

The trail camera flashed as he passed. He cried out when it flashed a second time from behind him.

"Lucas!" he shouted, tears running again from something completely different than happiness.

Deep, heavy breathing met his ears. He could swear it wasn't his own. But he was so close! The tent was so close...

Lucas was so close.

That person was so close.

Lucas, hearing the fast and echoed footsteps, opened the nylon tent up to look out. Ten was fast to dive inside, even faster to zip it shut. He sent his arms and legs around Lucas to cling to him as he sobbed.

Lucas, not knowing what else to do, rubbed his back. "What's wrong, baby?"

The mania in Ten's head slowed, but he was still shaken. "I-I heard something and-and the trail camera... flashed but it wasn't because of me and--"

Lucas laughed gently, kissing Ten on the head. "Don't worry, silly. The animals are more scared of you than you are of them."

"You said we scared the animals away by being here earlier."

A bigger laugh. "No," Lucas said matter-of-factly, "I said you scared them away by moaning so damn loud." He pulled Ten's head back to wipe under his eyes again, kissing him on the nose to calm him down. "But they're probably moving more now since it's night time."

A part of Ten knew he should've said more, but a larger part of him didn't want to believe it wasn't an animal. He accepted Lucas's logic. He knew everything would be okay if he was with Lucas.

"I'm sorry, I just...I got scared."

"No, I'm sorry," Lucas mumbled gently, meeting his eyes. "I shouldn't have let you go alone."

Lucas had taken his shirt off while Ten was running from death, and Ten's eyes dried at the sight. It was a fair distraction. All Ten needed was a distraction. "I love you," he whispered.

Lucas smiled. "I love you."

Ten smiled back. His chin was grabbed by the younger male's fingers, tilted up so his lips could be taken captive. The fragile kiss was enough to stifle Ten's fears, enough to block out those rational thoughts. Just before it became heated again, Lucas moved back.

"Let's scare those animals away again."

Ten giggled softly at the statement, gave a nod. Then he left Lucas's lap to crawl--in the most teasing fashion fathomable--toward their sleeping bag. That sleeping bag.... It was made for one person, yes, but Lucas purposely forgot the second one at home. It wasn't like it wasn't big enough for both of them. They usually spooned to get to sleep. With the sleeping bag, they would just stay in the same position all night, and waking up with Ten still in his arms was one of Lucas's favorite things in the world.

He couldn't wait to wake up with Ten in his arms.

Ten climbed into the sleeping bag. Lucas was right behind, pushing Ten onto his back and crawling over top of him. Ten gave a smile.

"I love you," he said again, his hands finding Lucas's bare chest.

"I love you..."

He came down to kiss his small boyfriend again, the taste never getting old no matter how many times he had it. Ten was perfect in Lucas's eyes. Everything about him was so perfect. He couldn't lose Ten. He needed Ten.

Ten needed Lucas. He needed Lucas inside him. Here, he wouldn't have to be quiet. He wouldn't have to hold back his moans or--when he just couldn't control them--bite into the pillow to muffle himself.

Lucas could feel Ten's hips in motion, their bulges grinding against one another. The best distraction...

A stick broke loudly outside.

Ten pulled his head away to look toward the sound, but he couldn't see anything through the tent. If anything, whatever was out there could see their shadows from within, thanks to the light of the lantern.

Lucas grabbed Ten's face and pulled their mouths together again, his lips hot and heavy on his boyfriend's. The sound of Lucas's heavy breathing drowned out the chirping of crickets from outside. The hand slipping down into Ten's sweatpants chased out all his fear. Ten moved against that hand, let out a short whine.

Lucas reared back to look at Ten. Then he seized him again.

Another stick broke.

"L-listen," Ten whispered with a turn of his head, his chest heaving. Lucas stared.

"I want to fuck you."

Ten's back arched when Lucas gripped him harder, and he whimpered. "Lucas-"

"Please, baby, let me..."

He dove his face into the crook of Ten's neck to breathe his heat against him. Ten's willpower weakened.

But he could footsteps--he swore he could. There was someone out there. He pushed against Lucas's chest harder.

Lucas gave in and pulled his head back. He stared at Ten. It was killing him to ignore that pressure in his boxers. He needed to fuck Ten....

But he heard it, too. Leaves crunching. Sticks snapping. It sounded close now. The doppler effect.

Lucas got off of Ten, his body cooling down in the name of fear. He sat outside the sleeping bag. His head turned to look at his boyfriend. His mind couldn't get over how Ten was so damn attractive. "You didn't grab the gun?"

Ten shook his head. "I got scared before I could..."

Lucas swallowed, but smiled at him. "It's okay, baby, I'm sure it's-"

Another twig, right outside the tent now. Lucas moved back to sit directly in front of Ten, who sat up and cowered behind the larger male. They watched the door.

Something took hold of the zipper from outside. Ten sent his arms around Lucas's waist fearfully, not wanting to lose him to some fucking serial killer. He sobbed. Lucas's heart wrenched at the noise.

"Don't be scared," he whispered, hypocritical. Then, louder so that thing could hear him, he shouted, "I have a gun."

It didn't care. It kept pulling the zipper... up... around the door's curve. Ten cried more.

"I love you, Lucas."

A hand stuck itself inside the door, landing on the floor of the tent. Lucas furrowed his eyebrows in puzzlement. Ten stopped crying for a moment.

That ring on the intruder's finger was familiar.

The door was pressed open then, the male entering with a, "Boo!"

Both the campers jumped, then clenched their eyes shut with heavy, exasperated breaths. Ten was flooded with so much relief, Lucas with the same but topped off with irritation. The small male held on to Lucas still, shaken up.

"You're a dick!" Lucas insulted, glaring at Johnny. "I could've shot you!"

"I could hear you say you didn't grab it," Johnny said with a little smirk, looking at Ten's arms around Lucas. "And I could see through the tent by the way. Sorry I interrupted."

"Where's Taeil?" Ten asked with a sniffle.

"He's--" Johnny cut himself off, pinching his eyebrows together.

The two campers copied his confused facial expression.

Johnny looked behind him, just when something grabbed him by the scalp to bring his head back. Johnny's eyes went wide, and before he could scream, a knife came around him to slice his neck.

The skin parted like the Red Sea, creating a Red Sea. The waters splashed the nylon walls, flooded the thin fabric floor, silenced the screams leaving the throats of the campers.

Lucas shouted. Ten clutched at him fearfully, bawling again. Lucas remained protectively in front of him.

Johnny's scalp was released then, and his body slumped forward to collapse over the lantern, dimming the chamber as the Red Sea pooled under him.

Then, a mask came into the dim light. A hideous mask. A flattened bird mask. A white plague doctor's mask. A horrible mask. He wore a black robe-like shirt tucked into black pants, and around his waist was a barely visible belt. And strung along that belt, there were tools.

Lucas pried the arms off from around his waist to go for the intruder, and Ten screamed his disapprovals. The intruder climbed in over Johnny's body to meet Lucas halfway. His armed hand rose menacingly, but Lucas clasped that wrist successfully.

Ten shook his head fervently.

But he couldn't just watch. It was a losing battle.

The male came forward quickly, too, taking the intruder's armed hand just as he freed it from Lucas's grip. And the free hand shot forward, then, taking Ten by the throat and squeezing so hard he couldn't even manage to choke.

Lucas drew the line at that. He would not condone _any_ touching of his boyfriend. He couldn't lose his boyfriend.

Lucas punched the killer. "Get back, Ten!" he shouted roughly.

Lucas took both wrists of the masked man. Ten let go because of Lucas shoving him from the side, but he froze.

"Get _back,_ Ten."

The male obeyed in complete reluctance, moving back. He hated to watch Lucas struggle. He hated seeing that mask. He hated that he hadn't warned Lucas about the article. They could've gotten a hotel. They could've gone to a bed and breakfast. They could've lived.

Lucas wrestled the intruder back, seeming to be winning. He pushed him out of the tent, over Johnny's corpse, and Ten cried, paralyzed.

"I love you, Lucas."

The uneasy feelings grew with every fighting breath he heard from outside the tent. He wanted to help. But he couldn't get in the way.

Ten stared at the corpse, at the walls splattered with crimson. Everything about the night replayed in his head as if to make him more emotional. It couldn't be real. It was a fever dream. There was no one so cruel that they could go around killing with unforfeited brutality.

Ten remembered when Lucas came home late from work one night. He'd been exhausted. Ten was in their room, sitting in bed as he scrolled social media when Lucas came in and collapsed onto the mattress. He'd used Ten's thighs like a pillow. And he'd fallen asleep so easily, looking so peaceful in Ten's lap that night. Ten hadn't moved at all. He fell asleep sitting up like that. It was well worth the neck cramp.

Ten remembered one night before they were together. They were in bed, trying to get to sleep, and Lucas cuddled up to Ten claiming he was cold. His body had been so warm. It felt good up against Ten, so he'd allowed it even though he was adamantly playing hard-to-get with the overly flirty Lucas. They'd stared at each other from so close, their legs tangled up, Lucas's arm around him. It was Ten who broke off the eye contact first by closing his eyes. And then Lucas took advantage of it by kissing him on the nose. It was the most gentle thing.

He could remember the day at work when Lucas asked him to get lunch together on their break. Ten had refused--he was scared he'd embarrass himself, but Lucas had pouted so cutely that it ended with them sitting across from each other in the office cafe. It was the day it all really took off for them. It was the day that Ten knew he was falling hard for that big pouty baby. And to think how it could all just be ripped away from him, stolen from him in one fateful second--

A gunshot rang out.

A yelp. The puppy's paw was crushed completely under that foot.

The crickets stopped chirping.

And the night's brief silence was broken by the pained wailing from inside that nylon tent.

_Finished 5/23/2020 at 7:25 a.m._


End file.
